Rohde & Schwarz acquires Pixel Power Limited

Rohde & Schwarz has acquired Pixel Power Ltd., a technology leader in television branding, graphics, automation, master control and playout. With this acquisition Rohde & Schwarz is executing its plan to expand further in broadcast playout while taking ownership of a company with significant technological leadership. The subsidiary will be renamed "Pixel Power Ltd. - A Rohde & Schwarz Company".

Pixel Power offers innovative graphics, master control and integrated playout systems for broadcasters and playout facilities. These systems enable dynamic content to be delivered more efficiently for linear TV, mobile, online and OTT/VOD.

Pixel Power has consistently developed its portfolio of software based IP solutions that are virtualizable for the private or public cloud, whilst offering new OPEX business models as part of the broadcast technology transformation. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, UK and has been developing and deploying broadcast solutions for 31 years. With this acquisition Rohde & Schwarz further expands its portfolio to complement existing product lines.

For Pixel Power customers, the acquisition represents an investment by an established and highly stable technology group – in such a dynamic market a crucial foundation for long-term partnerships with an additional focus on the safety of customers’ investments. The ongoing support of existing customers and commercial partners is an important prerequisite for both companies.

CEO James Gilbert and CTO Nick Wright will remain with the company in their current positions and continue to develop Pixel Power.

Posted by Chris Dickinson, technology journalist and editor of the Always On blog. November 27, 2018.

What will happen to the media cloud services market in 2019?

There’s a perfect storm brewing. Numerous forecasts point toward the rapid growth of video, driven by demand for video over mobile often in tandem with breathless predictions for the rollout of 5G, the next generation wireless broadband. The choice for media companies is to build the physical infrastructure to cope, or go to the cloud.

What will happen to the 4K UHD TV market in 2019?

The market for 4K UHD TV sales is growing strongly, led by the increase in premium 4K UHD content, and is predicted by specialist research and consulting firm Futuresource Consulting to top 100 million units worldwide in 2018 and to continue expanding rapidly in 2019 and beyond.

R&S SypcerNode media storage system now commercially available

Following a successful technology showcase and system launch at IBC 2018, Rohde & Schwarz has announced the commercial availability of its R&S SpycerNode media storage system, offering a new and radically different approach to the broadest range of broadcast and media storage requirements.

What will happen to the VR and AR market in 2019?

Looking at the market for two of the big technology trends of 2018, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) sales are predicted to have fallen sharply in 2018, but will return to growth in 2019, according to a new report by research firm CCS Insight.

Rohde & Schwarz acquires Pixel Power Limited

Rohde & Schwarz has acquired Pixel Power Ltd., a technology leader in television branding, graphics, automation, master control and playout. With this acquisition Rohde & Schwarz is executing its plan to expand further in broadcast playout while taking ownership of a company with significant technological leadership. The subsidiary will be renamed "Pixel Power Ltd. - A Rohde & Schwarz Company".

zweiB invests in R&S CLIPSTER for DCI and IMF mastering

Munich-based cinema, event engineering and media and post production specialist, zweiB, has boosted its facilities with the R&S CLIPSTER mastering station from Rohde & Schwarz to use on DCI and IMF mastering.

BLUE Experts Lounge – latest dates for Germany and Switzerland

The BLUE Experts Lounge, the global ‘technology experts roadshow’, travels to Germany and Switzerland in November 2018, taking place at the “Media Online inhouse tradeshow” on November 20 in Frankfurt, Germany, followed by the “Jordi AG Tech Workshop 2018” from November 22-23 in Schlieren, Switzerland.

The 8K future arrives in December

At the beginning of December 2018, the world’s first regular broadcasts in 8K begin, the climax of a 23-year development programme for Japanese broadcaster NHK. The question is whether it is truly the start of something that will eventually sweep the industry or will remain niche.

Contribution and distribution using unmanaged networks a key focus at SMPTE2018

Moving IP media effectively over unmanaged networks was a key focus at SMPTE2018 in Los Angeles, October 22-25, 2018. A major stream in the conference programme was dedicated to the subject, including a presentation on Thursday by Martin Holmes, Senior Business Development Manager at Rohde & Schwarz (booth 322).

Interoperability and content exchange made easy with IMF

Soho post industry converges on Jigsaw24 for Blue Experts Lounge

Around 100 representatives from Soho’s post production facilities attended a Blue Experts Lounge event at the Jigsaw24 HQ in Central London on Wednesday September 26. Attendees participated in sessions on IMF delivery and HDR standards, as well as demos on the R&S Clipster.

Next generation storage solution unveiled at IBC 2018

Rohde & Schwarz showcased a brand new storage solution at IBC 2018. R&S SpycerNode combines enterprise-class hardware with state-of-the-art software technologies. It is the first storage product on the M&E market to feature high performance computing (HPC).

Rohde & Schwarz participates in Netflix PTA Program

Rohde & Schwarz is an inaugural participant in the Netflix Post Technology Alliance Program (PTA), with the R&S CLIPSTER 6.7 mastering and distribution workstation. The PTA Program identifies products that meet Netflix technical and delivery specifications today and will continue to do so in the future.

Posted by Chris Dickinson. September 13, 2018.

Media Factory or Customised Curation? Content's future at IBC2018

Themed around ‘the search for growth’ IBC will showcase AI-assisted workflows, the status of IP infrastructure and the future of content.

German broadcasters demo Ultra HD at IFA 2018

A group of commercial and public broadcasters and partners will demonstrate UHD at IFA 2018 in Berlin (August 31 to September 5, 2018) at booth 203, hall 26. A series of clips in SDR and HDR/HLG format will be looped on a 77" UHD TV.

EBU conducts UHD HDR tests at European Championships 2018

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) led trials with several EBU members and industry partners to shoot, process, record, and distribute live Ultra High Definition (UHD) content, with High Frame Rates (HFR), High Dynamic Range (HDR), and Next Generation Audio (NGA), at the 2018 European Athletics Championships in Berlin.

Making work flow at The Farm post production services

The Farm Group recently invested in R&S SpycerBox storage solutions and R&S CLIPSTER mastering systems to meet the rising demand for UHD and HDR post work on shows such as Jamestown, made by Carnival Films for Sky One (pictured).

Rohde & Schwarz to showcase latest solutions at IBC 2018

At IBC 2018 in Amsterdam, September 14-18, Rohde & Schwarz (booth 7.B21) will make a number of strategic new product introductions that impact across many sectors of the broadcast industry, from post production storage to satellite and terrestrial transmitter networks.

BBC wins world cup for pioneering UHD HDR live streaming

The BBC’s live streaming of the FIFA World Cup in UHD and HDR is a case of believe the hype. The BBC has cracked open the possibilities of end to end live streamed ultra-resolution high dynamic range content and signalled the future in a landmark public trial.

Leading satellite operator SES successfully broadcast an 8K television signal – four times bigger than 4K – for the first time in May 2018. The demo broadcast was supported by the new R&S PKU amplifier from Rohde & Schwarz.

HDR: Bright prospects ahead, but where are we now?

What are the latest developments in HDR technology and deployments? Join a LIVE WEBINAR on Wednesday, 13 June at 3PM (BST) hosted by TVBEurope and sponsored by Rohde & Schwarz. Register your interest to hear from a panel of experts including Andy Quested, BBC Design + Engineering, Paul Clennell, dock10, and David Smith, Rohde & Schwarz.

Managing data archives in post production

What role do servers play in today’s broadcast operations?

Without any doubt, the future of the broadcast industry will be increasingly influenced by the Cloud-based technologies, but today is there still a place for on-premise video servers? And if so, what will these servers look like and how will they operate? Will everything be remote production over IP networks?

Future technologies provide a focus for broadcasters at NAB 2018

NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith opened the 2018 NAB Show in Las Vegas with his annual State of the Broadcast Industry Address, and a broad range of industry professionals led sessions focusing on the latest advances in filmmaking, television production and content creation.

For the sixth time in a row, Rohde & Schwarz supported the 68th edition of the Berlinale in 2018 with their innovative solutions. The R&S CLIPSTER mastering station and the R&S SpycerBox Cell storage unit from Rohde & Schwarz merged smoothly into the film presentation workflow.

UHD/4K HDR end to end solutions feature at Arab Radio and TV Festival

The Arab Radio and TV Festival in Tunisia, April 26-29, 2018, features a demonstration of the latest UHD/4K HDR end to end production solution from Rohde & Schwarz. The Festival is organised by the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) in cooperation with Tunisian Radio and TV and in partnership with the Arab Satellite Communications Organisation, Arabsat.

How will IP impact broadcast contribution services and how to take advantage of the technology?

IP can impact on many areas of broadcast operations: One key area is IP-based content contribution. Read more in our eBook “IP-based broadcast contribution and primary distribution – revolution or evolution?”

What are the key trends in 2018 for OTT, IP, HDR and cyber security?

IBC365 and Rohde & Schwarz have come together to create an exclusive report that looks at the key trends of 2018: “One eye on 2018: OTT, IP, HDR & cyber security “. From 4K video over the internet to the beginning of the end of SDI broadcast, the report examines the impact of game-changing technologies in the broadcast industry.

With SMPTE ST 2110 broadcasters have the foundation for interoperability

Broadcasters can confidently pursue their transitions to IP with minimal disruption by following certain basic guidelines. That’s the view of the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), an industry-wide coalition of vendors that has helped devise and support an interoperability framework.

4K UHD devices and content grows but HDR message confuses consumers

4K UHD devices and content is growing strongly, representing 35% of global TV sales in 2017, but there is limited delivery of content to consumers. High Dynamic Range (HDR) messages are also confusing and making it harder for consumers to appreciate the benefits, according to research from Futuresource Consulting.

SiTune Corporation has successfully tested its tuners for 8K Ultra High Definition satellite TV in line with the ISDB-S3 standard being rolled out by Japan’s public broadcaster NHK in 2018, in preparation for the Olympics Games 2020 in Tokyo.

Streamlining workflows in a multi-format media ecosystem

Standards convertors need to be able to handle different forms of 4K and Ultra HD (UHD), High Dynamic Range (HDR) and High Frame Rate (HFR) pictures as these technologies proliferate, David Smith, technology manager at Rohde & Schwarz, told Asia Pacific Broadcasting.

German broadcaster SWR starts massive digital archive migration

German public service broadcaster Suedwestrundfunk (SWR) solved a massive tape archive digitisation challenge by using the ADAM solution from the Swiss-based archiving specialist Jordi AG which includes encoding and storage products from Rohde & Schwarz.

What are the main competing HDR standards for broadcast?

High dynamic range (HDR) can massively improve image quality, but there are different standards being developed for broadcast applications. The latest Rohde & Schwarz report sheds light on the two main standards and gives you guidance on the merits of both.

Rohde & Schwarz joins IBC in celebrating 50 years of success

This year sees IBC celebrate its 50th anniversary. Rohde & Schwarz – one of a very few companies that has exhibited at every event – is joining IBC in celebrating its unrivalled success, as our infographics shows.

Posted by Chris Dickinson, technology journalist and editor of the Always On blog. 13th September 2017.

The future is IP-based but how do we get there?

What are the key industry themes at IBC 2017?

Buzzwords to look out for at IBC 2017 in Amsterdam include HDR, UHD, IP in live production, virtualisation and the wider shift towards IT environments, alongside AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Virtual Reality.

For nearly 70 years, Roschi Rohde & Schwarz AG has been one of the leading trading and engineering companies for communications technology, test & measurement and non-proprietary maintenance in Switzerland.